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Green Pesto Couscous

Delicate couscous pearls coated in vibrant basil pesto create a colorful, flavor-packed side dish with Italian flair. The combination of tender couscous and aromatic pesto with garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan is both elegant and comforting. This beautiful green dish elevates any meal from simple to sophisticated.

Bowl of bright green pesto-coated couscous garnished with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves

Prep Time : 10 min

Cook Time : 10 min

Servings : 4

Prep Time :

10 min

Cook Time :

10 min

Servings :

4

Ingredients

For the Couscous 

• 300g instant couscous — this one on Amazon


• 450ml vegetable stock


• 30ml olive oil


• 6g sea salt — this one on Amazon

For the Pesto 

•  60g fresh basil leaves


• 30g pine nuts


• 40g Parmesan cheese, grated — this one on Amazon


• 2 garlic cloves


• 80ml extra virgin olive oil — this one on Amazon


• 3g salt


• 1g black pepper


• 15ml lemon juice

For Finishing 

•  30g cherry tomatoes, halved


• 20g Parmesan cheese, shaved


• 15g fresh basil leaves, torn

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Directions

  1. Make the Pesto
     In a food processor, combine 60g basil, 30g pine nuts, 40g Parmesan, 2 garlic cloves, 3g salt, and 1g black pepper. Pulse until finely chopped, then slowly drizzle in 80ml olive oil while the processor runs until smooth. Add 15ml lemon juice and pulse just to combine; don’t overblend, or the pesto can warm up and lose freshness.
  2. Prepare Couscous
     Bring 450ml vegetable stock, 30ml olive oil, and 6g salt to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in 300g couscous once, cover tightly, and let stand 5 minutes off heat.
  3. Fluff Couscous
     Uncover and fluff thoroughly with a fork, breaking clumps and separating grains. Pay attention to the edges, which can be drier—pull them into the center as you fluff.
  4. Combine with Pesto
     Add pesto to the warm couscous and toss gently but thoroughly until every grain is coated. The couscous should be warm enough to help pesto spread, but not so hot that basil darkens; if it’s steaming aggressively, fluff for 1 minute first to release heat.
  5. Garnish and Serve
     Transfer to a serving bowl and top with 30g cherry tomatoes, 20g shaved Parmesan, and 15g torn basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Notes : 

  • Pesto quality depends on temperature and mixing time. Overblending warms the basil and can darken the color and flatten the aroma. Pulse, then drizzle oil slowly, and stop as soon as it’s smooth.
  • Warm couscous helps pesto distribute evenly. Cold couscous makes pesto clump and streak. If you’re serving later, reserve a spoonful of pesto (optional) and fold it in right before serving to refresh the flavor.
  • Salt control matters because Parmesan brings salt and the couscous is already salted. Taste after mixing before adding any extra salt. It’s much easier to adjust with a squeeze of lemon (optional) than to fix over-salting.
  • Storage: refrigerate up to 4 days. Let come closer to room temp before serving; cold dulls basil and thickens olive oil.

Nutrition Facts 

( per serving )

Calories

~631 kcal

Protein

 16 g

Fat

35 g

Carbs

61 g

Calories

~631 kcal

Protein

 16 g

Fat

35 g

Carbs

61 g

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Bowl of bright green pesto-coated couscous garnished with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves

Green Pesto Couscous

Delicate couscous pearls coated in vibrant basil pesto create a colorful, flavor-packed side dish with Italian flair. The combination of tender couscous and aromatic pesto with garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan is both elegant and comforting. This beautiful green dish elevates any meal from simple to sophisticated.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 631
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Couscous
  • 300 g instant couscous
  • 450 ml vegetable stock
  • 30 ml olive oil
  • 6 g salt
For the Pesto
  • 60 g fresh basil leaves
  • 30 g pine nuts
  • 40 g Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 g salt
  • 1 g black pepper
  • 15 ml lemon juice
For Finishing
  • 30 g cherry tomatoes halved
  • 20 g Parmesan cheese shaved
  • 15 g fresh basil leaves torn

Method
 

Make the Pesto
  1. In a food processor, combine 60g basil, 30g pine nuts, 40g Parmesan, 2 garlic cloves, 3g salt, and 1g black pepper. Pulse until finely chopped, then slowly drizzle in 80ml olive oil while the processor runs until smooth. Add 15ml lemon juice and pulse just to combine; don’t overblend, or the pesto can warm up and lose freshness.
Prepare Couscous
  1. Bring 450ml vegetable stock, 30ml olive oil, and 6g salt to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in 300g couscous once, cover tightly, and let stand 5 minutes off heat.
Fluff Couscous
  1. Uncover and fluff thoroughly with a fork, breaking clumps and separating grains. Pay attention to the edges, which can be drier—pull them into the center as you fluff.
Combine with Pesto
  1. Add pesto to the warm couscous and toss gently but thoroughly until every grain is coated. The couscous should be warm enough to help pesto spread, but not so hot that basil darkens; if it’s steaming aggressively, fluff for 1 minute first to release heat.
Garnish and Serve
  1. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with 30g cherry tomatoes, 20g shaved Parmesan, and 15g torn basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Pesto quality depends on temperature and mixing time. Overblending warms the basil and can darken the color and flatten the aroma. Pulse, then drizzle oil slowly, and stop as soon as it’s smooth.
Warm couscous helps pesto distribute evenly. Cold couscous makes pesto clump and streak. If you’re serving later, reserve a spoonful of pesto (optional) and fold it in right before serving to refresh the flavor.
Salt control matters because Parmesan brings salt and the couscous is already salted. Taste after mixing before adding any extra salt. It’s much easier to adjust with a squeeze of lemon (optional) than to fix over-salting.
Storage: refrigerate up to 4 days. Let come closer to room temp before serving; cold dulls basil and thickens olive oil.